Another observation re: data.
If you look at the first 17 bits of the inner track top color (l->r) against the first 17 bits of the outer track top color in same direction, they are identical. I know you'd expect repeats even in random data but 17 bits in a row starting right on the boundary? Odds are 1 in 131072 that'd happen?
inside colors
"000101010010110110", // outside track top, left to right
outside colors
"0001010100101101110010110000", // inside track top, left to right
Just to add to this: I've run comparisons between every string of inner and outer flames, reversed and flipped (exchanging 1s and 0s), and no other strings match up their first bits like this. Most comparisons match only 0, and the most any other pair of strings matches up, is 7. (Also note, the script double-counts, since every permutation flips one of the strings.)
0: 448 (0 characters matched at the beginning of the string)
1: 230
2: 91
3: 65
4: 33
5: 17
6: 8
7: 2
8: 0
9: 0
10: 0
11: 0
12: 0
13: 0
14: 0
15: 0
16: 0
17: 2
Could be a coincidence, but the 17 really stands out.